The Tigers have had their rough stretches a third into the 2014 season. Yet, for the most part, it’s been a strong start.

The Tigers have a wide lead in the American League Central. They have one of the best records in Major League Baseball.

These are five things we’ve learned about the Tigers two months into the season:

1. Any concerns about the Tigers offensively after trading Prince Fielder were unfounded – For all his problems, Fielder was one of the Tigers’ best offensive players in 2012 and 2013, ranking behind only Miguel Cabrera in several key categories, most of them involving power. But whatever the Tigers lost in Fielder, Victor Martinez has more than made up. He is actually having the type of season that had been anticipated from Fielder, but he didn’t deliver, with an OPS pushing 1.100.

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Ian Kinsler and Rajai Davis have slowed a bit from a torrid beginning, but their speed has improved the balance of the Tigers’ offensively. The Tigers rank among the top six teams in MLB in most key offensive departments, and have consistently ranked in the top 10 in runs scored.

2. The bullpen remains the Tigers’ Achilles Heel – For a club that usually lasts deep into the playoffs, and remains a legitimate contender for a World Series title, the Tigers have a remarkably suspect bullpen. When it was taxed recently because of several unexpected poor performances by the starting rotation, it was embarrassing. The Tigers had to turn to position player Danny Worth to finish a couple games.

Joba Chamberlain has regained some of the command he had been missing in New York, and his curveball has been surprisingly effective, but otherwise the Tigers have received spotty performance across the board from relievers, including from veteran closer Joe Nathan. He has already blown more save opportunities this year than he did all of 2013 with Texas and it’s a concern.

Statistically, the Tigers’ bullpen is in the bottom sixth of MLB.

3. Brad Ausmus is just fine as manager – Not every decision by Ausmus has worked. When Drew Smyly was in the bullpen, he pulled him too soon from an early-season game at Los Angeles. This past week, he left starter Anibal Sanchez in too long during a loss at Oakland. But he’s been more right than wrong. Like his predecessor Jim Leyland, Ausmus is pretty much trying to turn water into wine with a diluted bullpen. He’s done some goofy things with his batting order, like hit Don Kelly fifth, but he’s mostly made solid decisions.

The Tigers rank at the bottom of MLB in sacrifice bunts, so Ausmus is not a “small ball” manager, but hasn’t been afraid to use his faster runners to steal bases. The Tigers are near the top of MLB in both stolen bases and caught stealing. So far, that aggression has been a good thing.

Defensively, Ausmus plays the game more traditionally than most current managers. For example, the Tigers rarely deploy the exaggerated defensive shifts, which are in vogue these days.

4. The Tigers will only go as far as their starting pitching carries them – As long as there has been baseball, this has been true for just about every club. However, even in an era of teams piling on power arms for the bullpen and the late innings, and trying to shorten starts, the Tigers take this cliché to another level.

It was proven on a recent road trip to Cleveland and a home series vs. Texas, when the Tigers starters faltered just about every night. All of sudden, perhaps the best team in baseball literally became the worst. This is not a team that can afford any of its starters to become injured for a lengthy span, nor absorb less than at least a solid six innings or most nights, and survive.

5. The Tigers have room to grow in a couple key directions – The Tigers passed on free agent shortstop Stephen Drew, but have issues at the position. There is this growing expectation it will be prospect Eugenio Suarez to the rescue at some point, but virtually all his impressive production offensively this season at Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo has come against left-handed pitching. He doesn’t hit right-handed pitching well. Free agent Joel Hanrahan, coming off Tommy John surgery, is needed in the bullpen. So is the development of rookie Corey Knebel, but it would be naïve to believe the Tigers have enough in the bullpen, especially if Nathan doesn’t come around.

About the Author

Pat Caputo has written as a beat writer and sports columnist for The Oakland Press since 1984 and blogs at http://patcaputo.blogspot.com/. Reach the author at pat.caputo@oakpress.com
or follow Pat on Twitter: @PatCaputo98.